Pelicans pelicans pelicans...

Hard bags turn a bike into something useful. Sure, there are a bunch of soft bag solutions out there that can join forces to create a Voltron-esque container to store your belongings. But in my opinion? Soft bags suck. They aren't really lockable, they are annoying as hell to fiddle with when you're looking for something you packed toward the bottom. And before you know it, you've deformed your pack job to the point where you need to start all over again. UGH!!!! With a hard bag, you just smoosh everything back in and latch it. No deformation.



If I'm stuck on a bike without hard luggage, I consider myself to be using an inadequate tool of transportation. So it was with great pleasure today that I was able to place my Almax chain, backpack, and lunch into a Pelican 1550 (as opposed to a Joe Rocket tail bag that was hardly up to the task).

When I bought the ZX, the seller gave me one of those slick seat cowls that match the contours of the bike and replace the pillion seat. So I unbolted the frame from the cowl and reattached it to one of Megan's Pelican saddle bags. Much to Megan's satisfaction, this gave us the excuse to finally buy a matching orange Pelican and now her bike looks more presentable in all its VT colors!

That black Pelican 1550 started out on the SV650S, was moved to the SV650, and now has its home on the rear of the ZX. The bottom of the case is starting to look like Swiss cheese, but it's still holding strong and here's hoping it serves me well on the 636!

Downsides of my ZX

So I've been recently questioning the choice I made back in December when I replaced my 2001 SV650S with a 2006 ZX6R. Some of the benefits I've always attributed to riding a motorcycle actually don't apply to this 636cc supersport. Let me explain...



First of all, don't get me wrong. The ZX is bleeding-edge performance packed into a gorgeous flat-blue paint job. It's just jaw-dropping to operate this thing. But I've come to the realization that the additional costs of owning and driving this bike are frustrating.

Take, for example, insurance. I actually don't insure the bike with any collision coverage - way too expensive. However, I do have comprehensive coverage. Guess how much: $118/year. Okay, maybe that doesn't sound like a whole lot, but let me put it in perspective: comprehensive costs $28/year for Megan's 2007 SV650.

And then there's fuel costs. Sure, it gets better gas mileage than a car, but its 12.9:1 compression ratio requires the highest octane available at the pump. So far, it costs as much per mile in fuel to drive the ZX as it does to drive our 2004 Toyota MR2.



I had my eyes set on a supersport 600 after our last track weekend at CMP. I felt I was beginning to exceed the capabilities of my SV's suspension, and wanted to upgrade. I'm sure my next visit to the track will remind me of this. However, I'm learning there's a price to be paid if you want high performance on hand.

On to a supersport

So I just took my first trip on a Supersport 600 - a 2006 ZX6R, to be specific. The first of many...



I'm coming off some serious saddle time on a 2001 SV650S, and while I welcome the challenge, this Ninja is just a little intimidating.

First of all, it's got a more aggressive sitting position, but I knew I was signing up for that. So, moving right along...

Second, the steering is unpredictable. At least I can't predict it - not yet, anyway (Boy, do I sound sure of myself or what?). The balance of throttle and counter-steer necessary to hold your lean angle is weird on this bike. There's a very sudden drop-off point - I arrive there when I'm holding a steady throttle, and increase counter-steer just a bit. I find myself in this panic sitch where I need more throttle (or less counter-steer) to stay up. Of course, this is relatively low-speed driving which I assume the bike wasn't designed for. Regardless, is this characteristic of a shorter wheelbase?

GOBS of power, and I haven't even touched the top 3rd to redline. I have a feeling I'll have to ease my way there.



The bike is adjusted for 160 lbs, and I weigh-in @ a whopping 130. I assume this explains why I have this sensation that the front of the bike is bouncing all over the place. On a nice clover-leaf off ramp, I tried to have a little safe fun. But I was continuously caught off-guard by a very active front wheel. Felt every discontinuity in the road. That's not dramatic enough; I took a tour of every discontinuity in the road. I could draw a picture of what each one looked like after I went over it. Is this what great suspension feels like, or is this what mal-adjusted suspension feels like?

Good times await!